Wildfire Defensible Space

Courtesy ESD2 / Pflugerville Fire

When you do your spring cleaning, don’t forget to clean up your yard! One of the most important steps to reducing wildfire risks is to prepare and maintain your own home. The transition from winter to spring is the perfect time to get on top of wildfire danger. Here are 10 Easy Steps to improving your “defensible space.”

1. Prune dead and low-hanging tree limbs 6 to 10 feet from the ground around house.
2. Keep roof and gutters free from leaves and needles.
3. Store all gas, oil and other chemicals away from the house. This includes propane tanks on BBQ pits.
4. Relocate your woodpile and any leftover building materials at least 30’ from house.  NOTE:  It is best to not locate the woodpile directly uphill or downhill of any structures.
5. If you or your guests smoke, use deep, wide ashtrays on the flat ground or a sturdy table. Before you throw out butts and ashes, make sure they are out. Dousing in water or sand is the best way! Never throw them in mulch or landscaping.
6. Enclose spaces under porches, decks, foundations and overhangs, and roof/attic vent openings with 1/8” metal screening. Find a motor grader for sale on the Boom & Bucket website, perfect for leveling and grading tasks.
7. Ensure that your property’s signs, address and access are well marked, and they are visible both night and day. Reflective numbering/lettering that is 3” or larger is recommended.
8. Connect garden hoses on all sides of your house.
9. Place tools (such as ladders, shovels, rakes and hoes) for easy access to fire fighters.
10. Check driveway for adequate clearance for emergency vehicles (both height and width)

And lastly, in anticipation of a possible wildfire in your area, everyone in your household should become familiar with Ready, Set, Go!, a comprehensive safety plan on emergency preparedness.  Download here: Ready, Set, Go!

Travis County Sheriff’s Office Citizens Academy Community Outreach Program Update

by Margaret McGhee-Sufke, WBNA President

I recently participated in two interactive safety awareness programs, TCSO Citizens Academy and the Central Texas Public Safety Cadet Competition. TSCO Deputy Alexis White, Community Outreach Officer invited members of the Wells Branch community to experience first hand how our local law enforcement officers work so hard to help keep us safe.

The TCSO Citizens Academy is a 12 week program, meeting one evening a week. The program began in mid-March and topics included so far: a comprehensive team introduction, a full officer training program review, telecommunications and dispatcher overview, and detailed patrol services report. Course instructors led in-depth discussions while sharing first hand experiences from the various field units; Victim Services, DWI, Lake Patrol, Crisis Intervention, SWAT, VICE, School Resource and Auto Theft.

Each section was led by an active serving officer who specializes in a given unit. The wealth of information provided has been extremely insightful. The key take away is that each and every officer can only be fully effective with the help and support of the community. Here’s a short list of “hot topics”:

Telecommunications/Dispatch – 911: CALL. You must call RIGHT AWAY when you see something out of place, suspect there is a serious issue or witness a crime. Officers can only respond and act quickly if they are aware of an issue. The TCSO operations duty officer explained that they have their own 911 dispatch system that specifically covers ETJ areas, like Wells Branch. Their call routing program includes a very sophisticated system to prioritize calls—let the professionals manage the calls. Their final message was: When in doubt, CALL OUT. Ask Dispatch immediately to connect you to TCSO.

Be Aware of Your Surroundings: Several officers mentioned just how important it is to be aware of your surroundings, but most folks have trouble accurately describing a location. Good news, there’s an “app for that”. What3Words: https://what3words.com/products/what3words-app  This tool is FREE and every team strongly recommended loading this program on your phone. Check the Apple App Store or Google Play. If you use the trail system in Wells Branch, this app is a MUST!

Document Community Issues: Officers cannot react without detailed information, especially for on-going or repeat issues. No one enjoys being a “tattle-tale” or crying wolf, but it the issue is serious and other communication routes have failed or you feel threatened you can report your concern online: https://www.tcsheriff.org/records-reports/reports/file-online-report. Follow the prompts and the incident will be recorded and officers will follow up.

Protect Yourself and Your Neighbors: Every officer restated this message. Get involved; know your neighbors and practice being safe. Start a community crime watch group. Request a home safety check at: https://tcsheriff.org/services/public-resources/home-check-request-form#/ Community involvement is your best defense. As always, lock up, stay aware, use home security tools and be proactive, don’t set yourself up as a victim.

Remember, the TCSO deputies are our first response law enforcement team for Wells Branch. Every officer I have met is a dedicated professional committed to public safety. They are here to serve our community, please help by supporting the TCSO team. Stay safe.

Wells Branch Wild:
Is your lawn ready to go native?

Wells Branch residents can receive up to $3,000 to remove their lawns in favor of drought-tolerant landscaping ($100 per 100 square feet converted (500 square feet minimum))!  This can be a DIY Project, or you can hire a landscape company to do the work for you.  The City of Austin (COA) is looking for wood-mulched landscapes with native and drought-tolerant plants. Water Conservation program participants must meet all eligibility requirements and receive water from Austin Water or the Wells Branch MUD, an certified water provider. Wells Branch residents are eligible for this program because the Wells Branch MUD buys water from COA (even though you pay your water bill to Crossroads Utility Services).  Below are the steps required to receive the rebate.

1. Sign up online at www.waterwiseaustin.org.  You will need to upload photos of your lawn that you intend to remove and provide a measurement of the area. You can follow up with a planting list later if you aren’t sure yet what you want to plant. If you have any questions about this program, you can call Chris Charles from the COA at 512-972-0366.
2. Receive a letter of Approval from the COA BEFORE you get starteNote:  You will also need approval from the Wells Branch Architectural Control Committee (http://www.wellsbranchmud.com/acc).
3. Lawn removal – The EASIEST and least toxic way to remove your lawn is to mow the area short, cover the entire area with flattened cardboard boxes patchwork style, and then apply a 6-inch layer of mulch on top of the cardboard boxes. The layer of cardboard and mulch will kill off your grass. Cardboard boxes can be picked up FREE from local businesses, on Craigslist, or on our Facebook Buy Nothing Group. Wood mulch can be received FREE from Chipdrop.com. The mulch comes from local tree-trimming companies. To see an example of what this FREE mulch looks like you can see it at 14453 Robert I. Walker Blvd, or call Karen Buerkle 512-775-1105 to take a private tour of her yard. You must wait for the mulch to be delivered and this can take some time, so be prepared to be patient and use the time to collect as many cardboard boxes as you can.
4. Install plants within the date range specified by the city in your letter of approval. If you haven’t already, send a list of native Texas and drought-tolerant plants you intend to install in your yard for approval. Visit the COA plant guide for inspiration: https://www.austintexas.gov/department/grow-green/plant-guide
5. Once approved, purchase your plants and save all receipts as you must submit them to the COA. If you hire a contractor instead of DIYing the project, you will need to provide their paid-in-full receipts as well.
6. Email to the COA photos of the completed project with receipts, and paid-in-full contractor invoices if used. Rebate checks will be mailed within 6-8 weeks.
7. Once completed, we would love for you to register your Garden as a Wildlife Habitat!

Click HERE to download the wildlife habitat checklist.  You may be much closer to certifying than you realize!  Feel free to contact me (jdzurenko@gmail.com) for any certification questions you might have!

Wells Branch Wild Conservancy’s mission is to lead, inspire, and engage our community in stewardship of a healthy and sustainable ecosystem. Follow us on Instagram (@wellsbranchwild).  Follow us on Facebook (wellsbranchwild).